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The Nature of The Liberal Catholic Church

...The Liberal Catholic Church is a living
part of [the] Body of Christ with a distinctive presentation appropriate
to the twentieth century [and beyond]. It autonomous and independent
of the See of Rome and of any other see or authority outside its
own administration [a college of bishops with equal say and a regionary
bishop heading a province (i.e. USA, Canada, England etc)]. Being
neither Roman Catholic, or Protestant in the usual sense, it holds
a unique ecumenical spirit. It calls itself Liberal Catholic, because
while its outlook is liberal (see below for explanation), it retains
the hallmarks of catholicity in being universal, historical and
traditional. It is therefore not a new sect. It combines the catholic
form of liturgical worship and a deep mystical awareness of the
reality of sacramental grace, with the widest measure of intellectual
liberty and respect of the individual conscience.

An Introduction to The Liberal Catholic Church

The Meaning of “Liberal”

...Basically, it derives from the Latin liber,
a free man…. Through this, “liberal” has come to mean
abundant, non-literal, open-minded and unprejudiced, and this rather
succinctly describes the essential attitude of the Church. However,
the noun deriving from “liberal” is liberality, not
liberty — implying therefore not liberation, as from a yoke,
but simply munificence, breadth of mind, and freedom from prejudice.
From this concept has arisen the idea of freedom from any imposed
or exterior authority, and this is the sense in which “liberal”
should be regarded in relation to the Liberal Catholic Church.

An Introduction to The Liberal Catholic Church

Basis of Teaching

The Liberal Catholic Church draws the central
inspiration of its work from an earnest faith in the living Christ…of
whom St John (VIII,58) speaks: “Before Abraham was, I am”.
The Liberal Catholic Church accepts in the plain and literal sense
the marvelous promise of Christ when on earth: “Lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the consummation of the age,” (St Matthew
XXVIII,20)

Another promise he gave: “Where two or three
are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (St
Mathew XVIII,20). It regards these promises as validating all Christian
worship, of whatever kind, so long as it be earnest and true. But
it further holds that while the promise of the presence with individual
believers is thus effective, our Lord also appointed certain rites
or sacraments, called “mysteries” in the Eastern Church,
for the greater helping of His people, to be handed down in His
Church as special channels of His Power and Blessing. Through these
‘means of grace’ He is ever present within His Church, giving to
his people the wonderful privilege of fellowship and communion with
Him, guiding and protecting them from birth to death.

Basic Tenets (leaflet No 3)

The Sacraments and the Apostolic Succession

The Liberal Catholic Church recognizes seven
fundamental sacraments, which it enumerates as follows: Baptism,
Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Absolution, Holy Unction, Holy Matrimony,
Holy Orders. To ensure their efficacy to the worshipper, it guards
with the greatest care the administration of all sacramental rites
and has preserved an episcopal succession which is acknowledged
as valid throughout the whole of those Churches of Christendom which
maintain the Apostolic Succession of orders as a tenet of their
faith.

Basic Tenets (leaflet No 3)

The Feminine Aspect of Divinity

The Liberal CatholicChurch recognizes and pays deep homage to the
maternal aspect of divinity, the mother-nature of God. The latter
is looked upon as all-pervading, unfathomable, divine mystery. It
brings forth and nourishes all created life. Its highest expression
is the World Mother as represented by the Holy Lady Mary whose tender
care for all women and children and for all who suffer supplements
the divine ministry of Our Lord Christ. This
divine principle is shown forth on earth in the sanctity of life
and the mystery of birth and by the sacrifice and love of human
motherhood which call forth our deepest reverence and respect.

Basic Tenets (leaflet No 3)

Scriptures and Tradition

Besides perpetuating [the] sacramental rites, Christ’s immediate followers
gave forth to his Church a body of teachings and certain principles
of ethics. Much of this original teaching of the Christ has no doubt
been lost; some of it has been obscured by the accretions of the
ages. What remains is a priceless hertiage, to be guarded with loving
care and reverence.

The Liberal Catholic Church regards the holy scriptures, the creeds
and the traditions of the church as the means by which the teachings
of the Christ have been handed down to his followers.
It does not invest them with an idea of literal infallibility—
nor in view of their contents and their historical career does it
see how any other church can logically do
so. It deduces from them certain principles of belief and conduct,
which it regards as fundamental, true and, while not exhaustive,
sufficient as a basis of right understanding
and right conduct.

In the formulation of this body of teachings and ethics The Liberal
Catholic Church takes what in some respects is a distinctive position
among the churches of Christendom. The Christian church has always
contained within itself different schools of thought. The medieval
schoolmen who systematized theology in the Western church followed
the method of Aristotle; but the earliest among the Church Fathers
of philosophic bent were Platonists, and The Liberal Catholic Church,
while not undervaluing the clarity and precision
of the scholastic theory, has much in common with the Platonic and
Neo-Platonic schools of Christian tradition. It holds that a theology
can justify itself and be of permanent value only in so far as it
partakes of the character of total divine wisdom. That is to say,
that while certain of its higher teachings
remain within the category of revelation, because they are far beyond
our grasp and attainment, others less remote are capable of re-verification,
and even of development, by those who have
unfolded within themselves the necessary spiritual faculties…”

Basic Tenets (leaflet No 3)

Unity of All Religions

The Liberal Catholic Church believes that there is a body of doctrine
and mystical experience common to all the great religions of the
world and which cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of
any. Moving within the orbit of Christianity and regarding itself
as a distinctive Christian church it nevertheless holds that the
other great religions of the world are also divinely inspired and
that all proceed from a common source, though different religions
stress different aspects of the various teachings
and some aspects may even temporarily be ignored. These teachings,
as facts in nature, rest on their own intrinsic merit. They form
that true catholic faith which is catholic because it is the statement
of universal principles. Well did St Augustine
say: “The identical thing that we now call the Christian religion
existed among the ancients and has not been
lacking from the beginning of the human race until the coming of
Christ in the flesh, from which moment on the true religion, which
already existed, began to be called Christian.” (Retract I.XIII,3).
And the same principle was in reality involved in the well-known
declaration of St Vincent of Lerins: “That let us hold which
everywhere, always and by all has been believed:
for this is truly and rightly catholic.” The Liberal
Catholic Church, therefore, does not seek to convert people
from one religion to another.